President Nelson Issues Statement Regarding the Name of the Church

The following statement was released on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints newsroom site:

President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made the following statement regarding the name of the Church:

The Lord has impressed upon my mind the importance of the name He has revealed for His Church, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We have work before us to bring ourselves in harmony with His will. In recent weeks, various Church leaders and departments have initiated the necessary steps to do so. Additional information about this important matter will be made available in the coming months.

See the updated Newsroom style guide, which provides direction on how to properly refer to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In the coming months, Church websites and materials will be updated to reflect this direction from President Nelson.

The style guide says the following:

The official name of the Church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The full name was given by revelation from God to Joseph Smith in 1838.

In the first reference, the full name of the Church is preferred: “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

When a shortened reference is needed, the terms “the Church” or the “Church of Jesus Christ” are encouraged. The “restored Church of Jesus Christ” is also accurate and encouraged.

While the term “Mormon Church” has long been publicly applied to the Church as a nickname, it is not an authorized title, and the Church discourages its use. Thus, please avoid using the abbreviation “LDS” or the nickname “Mormon” as substitutes for the name of the Church, as in “Mormon Church,” “LDS Church,” or “Church of the Latter-day Saints.”

When referring to Church members, the terms “members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” or “Latter-day Saints” are preferred. We ask that the term “Mormons” not be used.

“Mormon” is correctly used in proper names such as the Book of Mormon or when used as an adjective in such historical expressions as “Mormon Trail.”

The term “Mormonism” is inaccurate and should not be used. When describing the combination of doctrine, culture and lifestyle unique to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the term “the restored gospel of Jesus Christ” is accurate and preferred.

When referring to people or organizations that practice polygamy, it should be stated that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not affiliated with polygamous groups.

This story will be updated as we receive more information. It appears that I’ll need to rename the website as well. 😉 Mormon Light might be a thing of the past. I’m eager and excited to follow the prophet’s counsel and see how this change will bless the world and bring souls unto Christ.

2 Comments

Hey Ben…I really don’t understand why all these folks are having such a conniption fit over this. Members all over social media are calling websites, Facebook pages and twitter accounts to repentance for having LDS or Mormon in their titles.
What is so hard to understand about the Prophets statement?
He was talking about the proper use of the name of the church…not the name of a facebook page, twitter account or website!
I get it that the newsroon style guide has been updated to reflect this impression but after reading the guide I just don’t see what we “culturally” call ourselves included there. It simply states, as a guide for writers, bloggers and the like:
When referring to Church members, the terms “members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” or “Latter-day Saints” are preferred. We ask that the term “Mormons” not be used.
With that last sentence being the only part that was updated.
My Facebook page LDS Standing United, I have close to 187,000 followers and I have been inundated with messages that basically say, “I love your page but…you need to change the name or I will un-like you.”
For using the acronym LDS and not spelling it out?
What is wrong with people?
I feel like a statue in the South during the purge of history a few years back.

@Terry Dorsey: Thank you so much for your response! I totally agree with you. President Nelson may lead the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a prophet inspired by God. That does not take away reason. We must make an effort to understand what was meant by what a prophet said. In general, referring to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as “Latter-day Saints” may be preferable to calling them “Mormons”. I feel like President Nelson was talking about proper terminology to use in church.
Having a website or publication is a bit different. People outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints still understand terms like Mormon and LDS. There are other religious groups that call themselves “Mormons”, but they are still not part of the LDS church and may not be called “Latter-day Saints”. Each one of us has the liberty to ask Heavenly Father what He wants us to do regarding this. Personally, I have no objection to the name “Mormon Light”. Changing a name could confuse people or make it harder for them to find the site.